Snooping
by 1stGreasergal
Summary: During a random moment in Rosalie and Emmett's room Bella finds out she's not the only human in the Cullens' lives. - oneshot -


SNOOPING

_Author's note - This story is written as an introduction to a new character that will play a role in later stories._

Bella examined the room with the same child-like curiosity that brought her into it. She was supposed to be looking for the TV remote, but she had never ventured into Emmett and Rosalie's bedroom before. The ornate brass bed with beautiful rose shaped accents screamed of Rosalie's taste, but the sports memorabilia placed on various shelves around the room was definitely Emmett's addition. While looking at some of the old books on the shelves Bella came across a framed picture that stuck out. There was her soon to be big brother standing with a female that wasn't his wife. The young red head in the picture didn't have the same pale skin or bronze eyes as the Cullen family. Her eyes were a deep ocean blue and her skin was a creamy shade of beige. She was most definitely a human and from the huge smiles and the way their arms were wrapped tightly around each other's waists as they obviously laughed at some off camera joke, this was someone he was very close to. Knock, knock, knock.

Bella quickly turned to face the culprit who so quickly sent her into a blushing fit of embarrassment dropping the picture in the process. Edward sped toward her catching the frame before it could hit the floor as he grinned that crooked smile she loved. Edward let his free hand caress the blush on Bella's cheek well aware that she felt she was caught doing something she shouldn't be.

"Sorry, I know I shouldn't be snooping."

Edward, still amused by her expression, assured her, "Don't worry, Emmett wouldn't have minded and even if he did catch you I'm sure you could toss in how interested you were in his in-person signed Mickey Mantle baseball that he would probably get so lost in the story he would forget what prompted the conversation."

Bella's mind traveled more to Emmett's mate rather than the burley brunette. "I was thinking more of Rosalie." Edward shrugged, but wouldn't admit aloud that she probably wouldn't be too happy if she caught Bella in here. They both looked down at the picture in his hand.

"Who is she?" Bella inquired. Edward placed the picture back on the shelf and motioned for her to take a seat on the bed. Not making herself too comfortable in case the room's owners were to return soon she took a seat on the corner of the bed allowing Edward plenty of space to sit beside her. He sighed and began his story.

"You remember when we discussed whether my other siblings had experience with humans whose blood sang to them as yours does to me?" Bella nodded in acknowledgment. "A few years ago, just before we moved here, Emmett and I were hunting in a secluded area just outside of Olympia. To make things more interesting Emmett had bet $100 he could take down more elk in 10 minutes than I could so I took him up on it. We were so deep in the hunt I hadn't realized that Emmett had broken off and I realized why when I caught the scent that he was chasing."

"A human?" Bella asked. Edward nodded.

"We thought we were far enough out from the main population that we wouldn't be close to any humans. Emmett was ahead of me and I ran as fast I could to catch up, but I was too late." Bella's mind filled with images of the poor soul Emmett had probably ripped to shreds like a gore filled horror movie and visibly shook in reaction.

Edward let loose a slight grin, "Don't jump to conclusions." He put his hand on her back and gently rubbed the fear away. "As I broke through the tree line to a small log cabin, Emmett flew over my head backwards taking down a maple about 50 feet behind me. I turned back to this human now staring at me and she didn't have a scratch on her. Emmett came stomping out from behind me snapping back at the girl, but I was able to grab his arms long enough for him to look into the her eyes. I had never experienced anything like it."

"Neither had I."

Bella turned to the door her blush once again returning, this time having actually been caught by Emmett. Luckily Rosalie wasn't standing with him in the doorway. Edward smiled again, having already been aware of his brother's return to the house and his thoughts before he came up the stairs.

"Filling Bella in about Jennifer?" Emmett confirmed.

Edward nodded. "We were looking for the remote and she noticed your picture."

Emmett stepped around the bed, grabbed the remote from his desk top waving it at his sibling and still blushing fiance whose face went from a mauve to a deep maroon. Emmett continued to smile though Bella noted that it didn't reach his eyes.

"You want to finish the story?" Edward asked him.

"Why not?" the still standing brunette replied handing the remote to Bella. He crossed his arms and started where Edward left off. "There wasn't much that could have stopped me from ripping into her throat. Her scent was so strong I didn't even remember being knocked away from her until Edward mentioned it to me later. There is no doubt in my mind that I would have taken Edward apart just to get a taste of her she smelled so good, but when I looked into her eyes I couldn't move. I felt like I caught a line drive to the stomach. Then I saw my little sister."

"Sister?"

Emmett noticed the confusion on Bella's face and looked at Edward. "You never told her the whole bear story?"

Edward replied, "It wasn't my place to tell it."

Emmett, shaking his head looked back to Bella, "You know that I was attacked by a bear the day Rosalie found me, but I guess what you don't know is the reason I was out there. I was babysitting my nine year little sister, Trisha. She was outside playing when I heard her screaming. I ran to find her and that's when I saw the grizzly standing over her. I grabbed anything I could and threw it at the damn thing, but I just pissed it off more. I tried to pull her away from it, but it sunk it's teeth into my shoulder. Damn near ripped off my arm. I guess I passed out because the next thing I remember was my angel carrying me through the woods." As if for dramatic affect, he turned up to look at his beautiful blond wife watching from the doorway.

"There wasn't anything I could do for her and it took everything I had to hold my breath just to get to Emmett," Rosalie recalled with obvious sadness in her tone.

"So wait, if your sister Trisha died in the woods that day who is Jennifer?" Bella was now even more confused.

Emmett chuckled under his breath. "It was the craziest thing I have ever experienced. It was like I was replaying that day in my head, but watching a crappy quality VHS tape. I saw her bleeding as she laid there not moving. I could smell the pine trees around us and I could hear that damn bear growling. It was unreal."

Edward cut in, "The strange thing about it was, Jenn saw the same thing, only through Trisha's eyes. Watching it through her mind it was like we were both looking through the eyes of a frightened and weak little nine year old child. She was lying in the leaves and dirt, her plaid skirt and white shirt covered in blood. The image of her own blood seeping from her chest would have been unbearable if I wasn't so intrigued with what they were both experiencing."

Bella looked even more confused so Emmett continued from there. "I almost didn't want to believe that what had happened was real until we both popped out of it and this twenty-six year old girl who I had never met in my life called me by my name."

"So you believe this girl is what, the reincarnation of your sister? And how did you get thrown over Edward's head?"

Emmett shrugged and all three vampires laughed. "To answer your first question, I know it sounds crazy, but would you have believed in vampires and werewolves before you met us? In this world, anything is possible. And she has some kind of gift that protects her from vampires."

"Basically it's like running into a wall only instead of crashing into it you get pushed pretty far away." Bella noticed Emmetts eyes drop to the floor and the room of vampires seemed to become uncomfortable. "It only works when a vampire is on the attack or when she's hurt."

"Does she ever come to visit?"

Emmett didn't look up when Edward answered. "No. She chose to distance herself from us."

"After we moved back here for her," Rosalie interrupted from her position in the doorway.

"Rosalie," Edward leered at her.

Emmett finally spoke again, "It's fine. I really don't want to talk about it anymore."

Bella, now feeling the tension the topic brought up, "I'm sorry if I brought up a sore subject."

"No," Emmett looked up at her attempting a reassuring smile, "It's okay. We got close really quickly and I miss her and if she ever needs me I'll be there, but I understand why she doesn't want us around. I mean, the girl has a gift that keeps vampires from getting near her. There has to be a good reason for it. I check in on her from time to time and who knows, maybe one day she'll be okay with hanging out again. Until then, we have you to play pet human." He winked at her.

"Cute," Bella retorted as Rosalie groaned and walked out of the room.

Standing from the bed, "Well, since I have the remote now, I guess we can go watch the movie."

"What are we watching?" Emmett asked as Edward stood up. "Not a chick flick, right?"

Bella sighed, "No, Resident Evil."

"Kick ass!"

With that the three headed downstairs.


End file.
